The Authoritative Parenting Style

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the authoritative style of parenting and compares it to the authoritarian style. It discusses precisely what makes a parenting style authoritative in nature. It then looks at how parenting styles can be a focus of attention in the mental health setting. The paper concludes with a brief examination of how an authoritarian parenting style was of benefit to the writer as a young person.

Table of Contents:
What is Authoritative Parenting?
Authoritative Parenting and Psychology
Response

From the Paper:

"The best outcome occurs with the application of the authoritative parenting style. This parenting style provides guidance without the excessive control demanded by the authoritarian parent. The authoritative parenting style relinquishes enough control over the child to permit the child to experience personal decision-making. However, it also contrasts with the permissive parenting style by providing enough guidance to enable the child to develop "appropriate morals and goals" (Bornstein & Bornstein, 2007, p. 2). A permissive parent, for example, might say that a child can go to his or her friend's house without first learning if the friend's parents will also be home. An authoritarian parent may deny the child permission regardless of any facts in the case. By contrast, the authoritarian parent uses both the facts and the child's needs as factors and may even include the child in the decision-making process."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bornstein, L., Bornstein, M. H. Parenting styles and child social development. In: Tremblay, R. E., Barr, R. G., & Peters R. DeV., eds. Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development [online]. Montreal, Quebec: Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development, 2007: 1-4. Avaiable at: http://www.excellence-earlychildhood.ca/documents/BornsteinANGxp.pdf Accessed 26 March 2007.
• DeHart, T., Pelham, B. W., Tennen, H. (2006). What lies beneath: Parenting style and implicit self-esteem. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42. 1-17.

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